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Tigeress
Brittle leaves crushed under my paws as I ran about around the clearing. Terror thundered inside me. I could practically hear my own heartbeat. Bu-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum. I heard a low snarl and felt hot breath on my ear. "Run faster!" My mother, Ivy cried out. "Hurry, Tigress!" One of the dogs chasing us lept at her and promptly began to maul her tired and frail body. Horror and grief made me freeze for a second. The dogs piled on top of me. I closed my eyes and waited for death. 1. I wake up. Warm sunlight tickled my orange tabby fur. The terrible memory came flooding back to me. It wasn't just a dream I thought bitterly.Why try and make it? I get up and prod my brother next to me. "Get up Nova. We're on the move again." Nova looked at me, squinting. "Why? We just got here." I sighed. "You know how it is. Some cat always complains that we're in the way." "Not yet." My brother argued. I swear, he is so stubborn. "Maybe we've finally found a place to live." "I said no, Nova." Nova frowned and stood up. "Why won't anyone understand? We need help." He was right. We were skinny, and covered in a bunch of Twoleg stuff. And by skinny, I mean you-can-count-all-of-our-ribs skinny. "I don't know." "Hey!" A mangy, battle-scarred tom raced towards us, eyes blazing and fur bristling. "Time to go!" I yowled. Nova's eyes widened and we sprinted into the forest, the rogue on our tails. The rogue let out a huff and lept at my brother. He missed and began running again. "Run! He's literally right behind us!" I yowled. I screamed as he tripped over a root Terror plunged in my chest as the rogue's claws sank into his soft belly. Nova reached up and locked his jaws onto the rogue's neck. Their grips loosen and I know they aren't there anymore. I am crying. I am alone. 2 I bury Nova and leave the dumb rogue out to rot. I hope a bird eats him or something else dreadful like that. I flee deeper into the forest and sit down. Two she-cats walk over, a pregnant tortoiseshell and a silver tabby. "Are you lost?" the tabby asked, eyes round with concern. "N-no." I flinch as the tortoiseshell she-cat sighs. "What's your name?" The tortoiseshell asked. "Tigeress." I say. "I'm Shade." The tabby mews. "And this is my mate, Dappleleaf." I flinch again. Dappleleaf doesn't seem too friendly, but maybe that's because she's pregnant. I look at Shade. I don't believe she is gay. She's so friendly, I have always pictured gay cats as grumpy. I don't know why. "Would you like to come with us?" Shade asked me. "We live in an abandoned barn with a few other loners." "There's plenty of food." Dappleleaf added with an edge in her voice. "Sure." I replied. We walked until we got to the barn. I saw another pregnant cat, a blue-gray she-cat. I saw a black tom with white paws and chest fur. I saw a ginger tom with dark green eyes and one white paw. "This is Lily, Socks, and Rusty." Shade introduced me. Socks and Lily are expecting kits too." Rusty cocked his head at me. "Who are you?" His voice wasn't mean, just curious. "Tigeress." I meow. My voice is small, like a kit's. "What's your story?" Lily curled her tail neatly around her paws. "Um... I don't really know who my dad was, my mother died in a dog attack. My brother was just recently killed by a rogue." I break off when I see Rusty staring at me. His eyes were clouded with sadness. "Ivy's dead?" "How...?" He cut me off. "Tigeress, do you remember me?" "N-no. I don't think so.." I mew. I know what's going to happen and it still shocks me. "Tigeress, I'm your father." Rusty meowed, joy in his tone. 3 "No!" I yowled frantically. Rusty stared at me with a strange look in his eyes. "Aren't you happy to see me?" He asked. "No!" I spat again. "If you are my father, you left us! You said you loved Ivy all those years ago and then threw it back in her face!" "Dang." Dappleleaf's eyes widened. I ignored her. "And me and Nova? What about us? If you hadn't left, maybe we'd all still be alive, living peacefully in a nice area." Rusty closed his eyes and re-opened them. "Are you done?" I sighed. "Yes." Rusty looked at me one more time and padded away to the corner of the barn. I noticed Socks, Lily, Dappleleaf, and Shade were all staring at me. "What?" I snapped. They all looked down at the rotting straw piles. I sighed. "I don't think I can stay here." "Why?" Shade asked. "Is this about Rusty?" She shifted a forepaw "Yes." I said firm, but not rudely. "If he is my father, I don't want to live with such a terrible cat." Dappleleaf looked directly into my eyes. I thought I saw sympathy. "Tigeress, there will always be grief and fury in this world. Rusty loves you very much. I know what you're feeling right now. My mother took off when I was a kit. I saw her again a few moons before I met Shade. I fought with her and ran off. Later I found out she died of her wounds. That was not what our last memory together to be. Please. Don't make the same mistake I did." My ears flicked forward and my fur bristled. "You will never know how I feel!" I don't recall thinking, I just fled. Running faster and faster away from the stupid barn. The End of Book 1